Water resources minister tells states to invest more in water supply, sanitation

By YANGE IKYAA

The minister of water resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, has called on the various state governments to invest more in water supply and sanitation.

Adamu made the call while briefing journalists at a lunchtime forum held in Abuja on Thursday August 25, themed “Engage, Educate and Empower Nigerians on the Legacy Projects of Federal Ministry of Water Resources.”

During the forum,  he met with water resources correspondents in an effort to brief Nigerians on the milestone achievements of his ministry. He also urged state governments to take advantage of all the ministry’s intervention programs in ensuring effective and efficient deliverables in the eater supply and sanitation sector.

The minister stated that some intervention programs like the PEWASH, or Partnership for Expanding Water Sanitation and Hygiene, were established to support state governments’ efforts towards meeting their rural water supply targets.

Speaking further, the minister said that the Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign to make Nigeria open defecation free by 2025 is fully on course. He further noted that strengthening the drive for reaching the overall mandate of the ministry to provide sustainable access to safe and sufficient water, meet cultural and socio-economic needs of all Nigerians in a way that enhances public health, food security and poverty remained paramount .

The minister further explained that the provision of water lies under the purview of state and local governments, and that a robust synergy is needed to attract private sector investment.

Giving a breakdown of the milestone achievements of his ministry so far under his watch, Adamu said “as you are aware since my reappointment as minister of water resources on 21st August, 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari, the ministry has been striving hard to consolidate on the gains made in my first tenure. Our work has been hinged on the Water Sector Roadmap Implementation Framework, which I instituted in 2015, with provisions for:

● Conclusion of the Draft Water Resources Policy, National Irrigation & Drainage Policy and National Water Resources Bill
● Organization and Manpower Review of the Ministry towards repositioning it for enhanced service delivery
● Prioritization and executing the Ministry’s Projects and Programmes
●Development and implementing a National Irrigation Development Programme
●Identification of Dams with Hydro Power Potential for Development
● Developing and Implementing a National Water Supply and Sanitation Programme to attain the SDGs
●Developing a Blueprint and Action Plan to strengthen the River Basin Development Authorities and
● Creating Partnerships as alternative sources of funding projects.

Continuing, he added that out of 37 Nos. inherited ongoing dam projects, 12 nos. have been completed while 20 Nos. have been prioritized for completion by 2023.

● Of the 41 No. inherited ongoing water supply projects, 16 Nos. have been completed while 8 Nos. have been prioritized for completion between now and 2023.
● Of the 38 Nos. inherited Irrigation projects, 10 Nos. are fully completed while 8 Nos. are at different advanced levels of completion
●Intervention in water supply has brought about the completion of many projects with a total capacity of 386,213,690 litres/day and enabling 15.1 million population coverage within the last 6.5 years.

On the WASH Action Plan, he explained that it was launched in 2018 and it encapsulates a 13 years revitalization strategy with the aspiration of “Ensuring access to Water and Sanitation for all” by year 2030 through strengthened Federal/State Partnership. In consonance with the objective of the WASH Action Plan, the following accomplishments have been made: i. Construction of 340 Rural Water Supply Schemes in the North-East, IDP camps and some Federal Institutions and Establishments.
ìi. Full implementation of the Partnership for Expanded Water Sanitation & Hygiene (PEWASH) programmes with total construction of 3,372 rural water supply schemes in 19 States of the federation with 5,262,189 people benefiting
iii. Secured World Bank Loan for the sustainable Urban and Rural Water Sanitation & Hygiene (SURWASH) programme in the sum of $700 million project implementation has commenced.
●The Clean Nigeria Campaign has yielded the following results:
■ 83 LGAs are now Open Defecation Free. All states of the Federation have flagged off the Clean Nigeria Campaign. ■Collaboration with National Orientation Agency resulted in training of community mobilization officers in all 774 LGAs, sensitization is on-going at grassroots.
■ Nigeria to host 2022 World Toilet summit (WTS) which is an attraction of foreign investment to the WASH Sector
■ OPS-WASH committing huge investments to support the campaign objectives.
■ To combat COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry developed and implemented National WASH response to COVID-19 projects as follows:
□ Rehabilitation of 185 Water Supply Projects (5 per state and
□ Construction of 185 solar powered water supply projects (5 per State and
□ Construction of 370 public sanitation facilities (10 per State and FCT)
□ Support to State Water Agencies for their operation to ensure uninterrupted Water
□ Engagement of 77,400 Youth Volunteers for Hand Washing and ODF Campaigns. This has also created awareness on Open Defecation in Nigeria across LGAs.
●Under irrigation, so far 101,450 hectares of irrigation has been developed since 2016.
●The River Basin Development Authorities are being revitalized to deliver their mandate. Songhai model an integrated agricultural practice was introduced to boost Agricultural production and achieve integrated rural development commenced 2016 and has been replicated in many of the RBDAs. To date, 253 farmlands have been leased to private sector for commercial farming out of which 181 are fully utilized. Also, about forty two (42) small dams have been constructed across the nation by the River Basin Development Authorities while six (6) of these dams are currently being utilized to support aquaculture farms.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, MCIPM, represented by the director, press and public relations, Mrs. Kenechukwu Offie, fnipr, welcomed all participants and correspondents. She urged them to report accurately on the activities and programs of the ministry, while also acknowledging the core mandate of the ministry in their news reportage.

Her words: “Dear correspondents, as pen professionals, I urge you today to pay attention to every detail and ensure that you report impactful stories, go extra mile in delivering factual and evidence- based reports of achievements recorded in the water sector. I equally enjoin you to bring on your mastery of skilled reportage to enlighten Nigerians on the legacy projects of the ministry.”